Cincinnati -- Two University of Cincinnati faculty members in materials
science and engineering were honored Thursday, Sept. 23 in
Chicago as recipients of the 1999 R&D 100 Award.

R&D Magazine sponsors the award program to recognize
what it calls the "most technologically significant new products
and processes of the year."

The vast majority of winners come from industrial and
commercial labs, but UC researchers have consistently claimed the
top prize as well.

Professor Jai Sekhar earned his second R&D 100 Award, this
time in the "Thermal" category for novel heating elements of
molybdenum disilicide which can be produced with 90 percent less
energy than conventional methods. Sekhar has pioneered the
development of a process known as micropyretic synthesis. Instead
of applying heat to the material, a controlled chemical reaction
produces the necessary energy.

The final product is also better. The molybdenum disilicide
produced by Sekhar's method is three times more energy efficient
in heating elements. The heating elements are produced and
distributed by Micropyretics Heaters International Inc. of
Cincinnati, a startup firm launched to take advantage of the new
technology.

Professor Wim van Ooij was honored for developing OXSILAN, a
nontoxic alternative for preventing corrosion in metals.
Chromates are widely used to treat metals, but they are toxic and
carcinogenic. OXSILAN, developed by van Ooij in conjunction with
Brent International PLC in Great Britain represents a new class
of chemicals (silanes) which can also be used on much wider range
metals. The coating can be used on painted or unpainted surfaces.
It can be sprayed, wiped, dipped, or brushed on. It can also be
colored for decoration. Treatment time is less than 10 seconds.

OXSILAN is also completely safe to handle and poses no
disposal difficulties. Current applications include treating auto
bodies for paint adhesion and corrosion resistance, suppressing
storage stain on auto and building materials, and treatment of
painted and non-painted aluminum alloys used in the aerospace
industry. Potential uses include coating microelectronics and
treating the cords in steel-belted radial tires.

This is the second time Professor van Ooij's work with silanes
has received national attention. He and a former graduate
student, Vijay Subramanian, received the 1997 B.F. Goodrich
Collegiate Inventors Award for previous research. Only three such
awards are made each year.